Opinion: Questions, questions

The top five questions life advisers should be asking their insurers about compliance:

ONE: Now that the minister has again made it clear term insurance is not a category one product, will you require me to be an authorised adviser, or will you be happy to accept me as a registered adviser provided I stick to category two products and services?

TWO: I've read in recent discussion documents that registered advisers will face a fee of $350 for registration - a lot more than what is charged right now for company registration. They plan to charge $1,385 for authorised financial advisers. Will you be lobbying for the Securities Commission to reduce proposed charges for advisers to something more reasonable?

THREE: I know that in order to be compliant I will need to demonstrate "reasonable care, skill and diligence". Do you have a position what that is? Will you be running programmes to help me comply? Who will run them? When? How much will they cost?

FOUR: There has been lots of talk in the media about how qualifying financial entities (QFEs) may enjoy certain advantages, and the Securities Commission's own estimate shows that it thinks there might be 10,000 advisers in QFEs going forward. Will you be making a QFE offer in time for me to actually decide whether to join before registrations open in the second quarter of next year?

FIVE: This all looks like it's going to cost a lot - how will you make that easier for my business?

Comments from our readers

On 29 October 2009 at 2:17 pm Denis said:

Oh dear. Aside from the fact that there are at least nine questions, the tone adopted would put anyone's back up. The relationship between adviser and insurer works best when it is a partnership. This sounds like a spoilt brat, whingeing.

On 30 October 2009 at 4:38 pm Simon Hassan said:

In my opinion the only appropriate partnership for an 'adviser' is with their client. Those in partnerships with suppliers should use the word 'agent'. Special relationships with suppliers mean conflicts of interest. What insurance advisers need is an insurance wrap!

On 5 November 2009 at 11:12 am Regan Thomas said:

Insurance Wrap. Sounds like Aggragation Group V2. Although the idea may actually float well under the regulated environment with advisers who want to cut the apron strings.